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c. 1864 “USS MALVERN” the Confederate Ship Captured “Prize of War” Used by the Union Navy to Patrol Confederate Waterways & Becomes Admiral David Dixon Porter's Flagship and Transports President Abraham Lincoln up the James River to Richmond, Virginia where Lincoln was Greeted by Former Slaves, who Hailed him as a Hero

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c. 1864 Civil War Famous and Historic USS MALVERN, Union Navy Manuscript Document Fire Bill, Union Prize of Ware and Confederate Ship Converted to Naval Use, from the personal papers of John Hill, from the Lt. James A. Hamilton achive, who personally served on the USS Malvern, wrote and signed its Handwritten Orders, Headed: “Fire Bill” (FIRE DRILL), Choice Very Fine.

FROM THE PERSONAL PAPERS OF JOHN HILL, FROM LT JAMES A HAMILTON WHO ALSO SERVED ON THE USS MALVERN, HAND WRITTEN "FIRE BILL" !! OUTSIDE SAYS "FIRE BILL, .... FLAG SHIP MALVERN." -

c. 1864 Civil War Period (undated), no place, extensively outlined headed and detailed “FIRE BILL” which appears to be the orders to follow as a Fire Drill on the ship USS Malvern, 2 pages, handsomely written, clear and easily readable in brown ink on light blue lined wove period paper, measuring 7.75” x 12” letter folded, Choice Very Fine.

USS Malvern (eventually renamed Ella and Annie) was a large steamer captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was then used by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

Malvern was built in 1860 as the “William G. Hewes” by Harlan and Hollingsworth Co., Wilmington, Delaware, for Charles Morgan's Southern Steamship Co. She commenced regular service between New York City and New Orleans, Louisiana, January 11th, 1861.

The “William G. Hewes” was seized April 28th. 1861 by the Governor of Louisiana, and then placed into service as a Confederate blockade runner, although the ship was not officially registered as a “Confederate” Steamer until April 5th,1862. Because of her superior speed, maneuverability, and large cargo capacity, the Hewes was of far greater value as a Blockade Running Transport than as a CSA Gunboat. Few of her contemporaries were able to match the 1,440 payload of cotton bales that she carried to Havana, Cuba, that April.

When Admiral David Farragut captured New Orleans, Louisiana, in April 1862, the William Hewes shifted her operations to Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. She was then renamed the “Ella and Annie”. Under the Importing & Exporting Co. of South Carolina she renewed her Union Blockade running activities to Bermuda in April 1863.

Damage sustained during a hurricane in September necessitated repairs in Bermuda. The Ella and Annie departed there November 5th in company with Steamer R. E. Lee. The two ships separated off Carolina, and the Ella and Annie steamed for Wilmington, North Carolina. She was delayed by a storm and intercepted the morning of November 8th by Union Ship USS Niphon (1863) off New Inlet, North Carolina. Capt. Frank N. Bonneau, CSN, in command of the blockade runner, rammed the northern gunboat in a desperate attempt at evasion. A cannon broadside from Niphon, with Acting Master Joseph B. Breck USN, in command, killed one man on the Ella and Annie, and riddled her hull.

A boarding party from Niphon captured Ella and Annie and her valuable cargo, and a prize crew took her to Boston, Massachusetts. Captain Bonneau was later Convicted of Piracy by a Boston court, but the presiding officer, who had been a flag officer himself, suspended the sentence on the grounds that he would have acted in a like manner had he been in similar circumstances.

Ella and Annie was condemned as a “Prize of War” and sold to the US Navy. Hastily armed, she was renamed “Malvern” and provisionally commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on December 10th. She was then sent with orders to intercept the “Chesapeake”, which had been hijacked at sea by passengers professing allegiance to the Confederacy. Chesapeake was found abandoned, taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and turned over to British authorities.

Malvern was formally commissioned February 9th, 1864 at Boston Navy Yard. Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, she became Admiral David Dixon Porter's Flagship. She participated in the campaign that resulted in the capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in December 1864 and January 1865. She captured CSA blockade running steamers Stag and Charlotte January 19th off New Inlet, North Carolina, and participated in the attack February 18th on Fort Anderson, Cape Fear River.
Malvern transports President Abraham Lincoln to Richmond:

Malvern was frequently utilized for conferences between Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, Rear Admiral Porter, and U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Her last notable service for the Navy was to convey the President up the James River to Richmond, Virginia, when that city was evacuated by the Confederates on April 2nd. A contingent of armed guards from the Malvern protected the President during his visit to the captured Confederate Capital City, now under U.S. control, where Lincoln was greeted amicably by former slaves, who hailed him as a hero and credited for their liberation. Even some Richmonders greeted Abe Lincoln amicably as well, with one Virginian girl giving him a bouquet of flowers for his role in ending slavery.

After Lincoln's visit to Richmond on April 4th, Democratic politician and Confederate supporter Duff Green boarded Malvern, demanding to naval personnel that they take him to speak to President Lincoln, which was done. Calling Green a friend, Abe Lincoln greeted him with a smile at first, however, Green did not reciprocate in kind, refusing to shake Lincoln's hand when it was offered.

In full view of Rear Admiral David Porter, Green then proceeded to verbally berate Lincoln, calling him a tyrant, a murderer, accusing him of visiting Virginia only to gloat boastfully over the defeated Confederacy, as well as accusing him of starting the Civil War. After patiently listening to Green berate him for a while, Lincoln's smile soon disappeared and he became incensed, angrily condemning Green as being a traitor to the United States for supporting its wartime enemy, the Confederacy, stating:

“Stop, you political tramp. You, the aider and abettor of those who have brought all this ruin upon your country, without the courage to risk your person in defense of the principles you profess to espouse! A fellow who stood by to gather up the loaves and fishes, if any should fall to you! A man who had no principles in the North, and took none South with him! A political hyena who robbed the graves of the dead, and adopted their language as his own! You talk of the North cutting the throats of the Southern people. You have all cut your own throats, and, unfortunately, have cut many of those of the North. Miserable impostor, vile intruder! Go, before I forget myself and the high position I hold! Go, I tell you, and don't desecrate this national vessel another minute!

Green, surprised and left speechless by Lincoln's rare bout of anger, quickly exited the room. Admiral Porter then ordered military personnel to remove Green from Malvern, and not to allow him to board the ship again.

Malvern was sold at auction at New York to S. G. Bogart, who promptly resold her to her original owner. S he was again renamed “William G. Hewes” and reconditioned for passenger and freight service at Wilmington, Delaware, during January 1866. Charles Morgan then operated her from New Orleans to the Texas Gulf ports until 1878, when he turned his steamers over to the Louisiana & Texas Railroad, which he owned.

Hewes' great grandson was a land developer and contractor in the Gulf of Mexico before World War II. A report filed in Texas Contractors Monthly states that Hewes had to sell some of the ship's hardware after losing to J.O. Winston in a high stakes poker match. Those materials were then incorporated into the construction of a grand estate for Mr. Winston's wife, named Malvern, which was designed and built by famed architect John Staub in the Memorial area of Houston, TX.

Hewes served in the West Indies fruit trade for many years. She was caught in a violent Gulf storm on February 19th or 20th, 1895 and was wrecked on Colorado Reef off the coast of Cuba.

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Lot Number: 198
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